Dez Bryant: 'Everything is still up in the air'

Since it was announced last week that the Dallas Cowboys had decided to release him, Dez Bryant has been chronicling his first experience with free agency on Twitter. Most notably, he’s fueled rumors that he wants to stay in the NFC East – which would give him the chance to play his old team twice in 2018 – by responding to and retweeting reports that say as much.

However his tone was (predictably) a bit different on Monday in reaction to a discussion on NFL Network’s ‘Good Morning Football’. The show’s hosts debated his desire to stay in the same division, and former wide receiver Nate Burleson kicked things off by saying that he doesn’t approve.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like the idea of it,” said Burleson. “Because I feel like it’s more of a passion decision, it’s not really based off of logic.”

Burleson went on to say that if he were to land somewhere in the NFC East, he’d prefer to see him on the New York Giants with Odell Beckham, where Bryant would be the No. 2 wide receiver and would therefore draw the coverage from second and third-best defensive backs.

Bryant of course responded, saying, “I feel like Nate hit it on the nail…everything is still up in the air.”

While Bryant could be affirming Burleson’s belief that Bryant wants to play somewhere like the Giants where he would play with other great wide receivers, the far more likely reality is that Bryant is acknowledging that cooler heads must prevail, and that his desire to stay in the NFC East is an emotional one that needs to be reconsidered.